What is Yoga for Scoliosis?
Yoga is a highly effective remedy for addressing the ongoing issues of stiffness and pain associated with scoliosis. The first word in the title ‘Yoga for Scoliosis’ yoga is defined as yoke or union. Yoga is an ancient physical, mental, and spiritual practice designed to cultivate inner peace, an open heart, a calm mind, and a strong, relaxed body. In the West, yoga is most commonly associated with the physical discipline known as hatha yoga, one of several branches of yoga. The second word in the title, scoliosis indicates a physical condition with abnormal curvatures of the spine, including either an S shape or a C shape. This article will look at yoga as an effective and advanced way of improving mobility and health in an otherwise challenging condition of the spine often associated with stiffness and pain.
The roots of yoga go back over 3,000 years to India. It was first introduced into the United States in 1893. Today, an estimated 5 million Americans practice yoga, and the number is rapidly growing.
Hatha yoga is the practice of physical postures (asanas), the practice of breathing techniques (pranayama), and relaxation (sivasana), and was developed to relax, detoxify, strengthen, and stretch the body. Within hatha yoga, there are many different schools, such as Iyengar, Kripalu, Ashtanga, and Viniyoga. Iyengar yoga, named after its founder B.K.S. Iyengar, is renowned for its precise attention to alignment, and anatomical detail. Individual attention is given to special physical problems such as scoliosis.
The Practice of Yoga for Scoliosis
In the practice of doing the yoga postures, there is an emphasis on postural alignment, particularly in the Iyengar system. One becomes more aware of imbalances throughout the body and learns methods of improving one’s posture. For someone with scoliosis, it is very important to both lengthen and strengthen the muscles that support the spine to relieve tightness and pain. There are many postures where the spine is simultaneously being lengthened and the paraspinal muscles (longitudinal muscles down the spine) and other supporting muscles of the back are strengthened which together help offset further lateral curvature and rotation.
Standing poses strengthen the legs which creates a solid foundation from which the spine can stretch and become freer. This enables the legs, rather than the spine, to carry the weight of the body.
At the same time, it is very important to create flexibility in the legs and mobility, particularly, in the hips. There are many yoga postures that stretch the hamstrings, hip flexors, and quadriceps which are the key muscles that not only create more mobility and strength but can help improve posture.
Many yoga postures also loosen the upper back particularly the trapezius muscle (large muscle from neck to base of shoulder blade).
Yoga also emphasizes breath awareness while doing the postures. With scoliosis, there is often decreased breathing capacity, particularly on the concave side, because the intercostal muscles (muscles between the ribs) have decreased in their elasticity and strength. By sending the breath into a collapsed ribcage on the concave side, one can stretch the intercostal muscles and create more lung capacity as well as more evenness of the sides of the body.
Suggested Yoga Poses for Scoliosis
We encourage all readers treated for scoliosis to advise their physician about their intent to use yoga. We caution all readers to remain within their limits and adhere to the advice of their doctors.
Yoga may be good for general health and well-being, and help manage the effects of scoliosis. There is no known scientific evidence however to show that yoga corrects of halts abnormal spinal curvatures.
Suggested Yoga Poses
The following are beginning yoga poses that you can do on your own. As you progress it is recommended that you receive the guidance of a yoga teacher to assist you in learning more advanced poses so they can give you guidance on proper alignment for your scoliosis. Please remember to breathe while holding these poses. You may start to hold these poses for half a minute and build up to a minute.
Suggested Yoga Poses
Click here on the the original article to learn beginning yoga poses to do on your own.
Some tips for your yoga practice: As you progress in your yoga practice, it is recommended that you receive the guidance of a yoga teacher to assist you in learning more advanced poses so they can give you guidance on proper alignment for your scoliosis. Please remember to breathe while holding these poses. You may start to hold these poses for half a minute and build up to a minute.
Yoga is an Optimum Therapy for Scoliosis
Yoga is an effective therapy for scoliosis for your entire lifetime. A specialist in yoga for scoliosis will know how to gently and safely rebuild mobility in stiff areas and strength in weak, tight, and collapsed areas. Remember when you are searching for answers for your scoliosis that yoga can serve you for your entire lifetime. With the help of a skilled teacher, you can weather the different stages your spine goes through during the many phases of your life. Yoga is rich in its breadth and depth of knowledge and practice. you can rest assured that yoga will be a reliable tool and friend you can always turn to for addressing whatever issues you face throughout your entire life.
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